Keep conceding from crosses or want to be better at heading from set-pieces on FIFA 18? Then you may need to bring in a tall centre back. Their added height should allow you to win more headers and get you back to winning ways. In a game that’s becoming evermore focussed on playing the ball on the deck, heading is a dying art, so we bring you the tallest centre backs to sign in both Career Mode and Ultimate Team to give you the edge.
For all CBs 6’5″ and above, visit the table at the end of this page.
Axel Sjoberg (OVR 71 – POT 74)
Age: 26
Height: 6’7”
Positions: CB
Club: Colorado Rapids
Country: Sweden
Best attributes: 89 strength, 74 aggression, 74 jumping
FUT cost: 950 PS4/1,200 Xbox One
Career Mode cost: £3.3 million (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £5,000 a week
If you're looking for height and strength with a bit of quality, Axel Sjoberg is your man. The 6'7" Swede has been a rock at the back for Colorado Rapids in the MLS for over two years now and was in the 2016 team of the season.
At 26 it's the perfect time to sign him on Career Mode, with his 71 overall able to improve to 74. His stats of 89 strength, 74 aggression and 74 jumping will cost you £3.3 million on Career Mode, with wages of £5,000 a week. On Ultimate Team, you'll need 950 coins on PS4 and 1,200 on Xbox One.
Abdoul Ba (OVR 66 – POT 72)
Age: 23
Height: 6’7”
Positions: CB
Club: Auxerre
Country: Mauritania
Best attributes: 90 strength, 70 standing tackle, 66 heading accuracy
FUT cost: 550 PS4/200 Xbox One
Career Mode cost: £901,000 (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £2,000 a week
If you're on a tight budget, look at Auxerre’s Abdoul Ba. The 23-year-old centre back has been a regular in Ligue 2 this season following his switch from Lens, and you sense in a couple of seasons he'll be ready for the step up to the top flight.
The 6'7" Mauritania defender is priced at just £901,000 on Career Mode, with £2,000 a week wages. Attributes of 90 strength, 70 standing tackle and 66 heading accuracy give Ba a 66 overall, which can rise to a 72 potential. On Ultimate Team, you will need 550 coins on PS4 and just 200 on Xbox One.
Harry Souttar (OVR 59 – POT 76)
Age: 18
Height: 6’7”
Positions: CB
Club: Stoke City
Country: Scotland
Best attributes: 74 strength, 73 jumping, 61 sliding tackle
FUT cost: 200 PS4/250 Xbox One
Career Mode cost: £644,000 (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £3,000 a week
The only other 6’7” centre back is Stoke’s Harry Souttar. The Scotland U19 international made his debut for The Potters in the EFL Cup this season, so expect him to play a bigger role next year.
The 18-year-old Souttar has 74 strength, 73 jumping and 61 sliding tackle on the game, aiding his 59 overall rating. On Career Mode, this can rise to a potential of 76, meaning he will cost you £644,000 and £3,000 a week in wages. You will need 200 coins on PS4 and 250 on Xbox One to sign him to Ultimate Team.
Naldo (OVR 84 – POT 84)
Age: 34
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB
Club: Schalke
Country: Brazil
Best attributes: 92 heading accuracy, 92 shot power, 88 standing tackle
FUT cost: 1,700 PS4/1,800 Xbox One (82 rating)
Career Mode cost: £11 million
Career Mode wage: £42,000 a week
A veteran of the German game, centre back Naldo has been in the Bundesliga for close to 13 years now. The 34-year-old has won two German cups in the country and won the Copa America with Brazil back in 2007, and at the age of 34 there is still time for one last move to your club in Career Mode on FIFA 18.
His 84 overall will cost you £11 million with wages of £42,000 a week, and is worth the investment for his 92 heading accuracy, 92 shot power and 88 standing tackle. On Ultimate Team, the 6'6" Naldo is priced at 1,700 coins on PS4 and 1,800 on Xbox One.
Per Mertesacker (OVR 81 – POT 81)
Age: 32
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB
Club: Arsenal
Country: Germany
Best attributes: 87 standing tackle, 87 composure, 86 interceptions
FUT cost: 1,600 PS4/1,500 Xbox One
Cost: £11 million
Wage: £97,000 a week
With Arsenal moving to a back three last season, Per Mertesacker has struggled for game-time ever since, but his loyalty to the club has kept him there as captain, and he will head The Gunners' Academy when he retires at the end of the season. The 6'6" 'Big Friendly German' is a cup specialist, first winning the German Cup with Werder Bremen in 2009, and then three FA Cups with Arsenal and World Cup with Germany.
There is still time to sign the 32-year-old on Career Mode, and his 81 overall will set you back £11 million. Attributes of 87 standing tackle, 87 composure and 86 interceptions are very useful, so it may be worth £97,000 a week in wages to secure Mertesacker. 1,600 coins on PS4 and 1,500 on Xbox One will be enough to grab him on Ultimate Team.
Jannik Vestergaard (OVR 78 – POT 83)
Age: 24
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Country: Denmark
Best attributes: 94 strength, 86 heading accuracy, 82 standing tackle
FUT cost: 950 PS4/1,000 Xbox One (79 rating)
Career Mode cost: £18.7 million (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £26,000 a week
Part of Denmark’s promising side is centre back Jannik Vestergaard. The 6'6" 24-year-old has been solid at the back for Borussia Monchengladbach since joining them last season, and he formed a formidable partnership with on-loan Chelsea defender and countryman Andreas Christensen as they finished sixth in the Bundesliga.
The six foot six inch Vestergaard has a 78 overall on FIFA, growing to an 83 potential on Career Mode. Skills of 94 strength, 86 heading accuracy and 82 standing tackle will cost you £18.7 million and wages upwards of £26,000 a week. On Ultimate Team you will only need 950 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One.
Dan Burn (OVR 69 – POT 71)
Age: 25
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB
Club: Wigan Athletic
Country: England
Best attributes: 89 strength, 70 heading accuracy, 70 marking
FUT cost: 950 PS4/800 Xbox One (70 rating)
Career Mode cost: £1.7 million (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £7,000 a week
At 25, it’s time for Dan Burn to kick on with his career. He made an early name for himself at Fulham in 2014, but his switch to Wigan last season lead to relegation. Now in League One, it's vital that his Latics side win promotion so he can make the most of his potential, and perhaps get back into the Premier League one day.
The 6'6" centre back has attributes of 89 strength, 70 heading accuracy and 70 marking on the game, providing Burn with a 69 overall. A price of just £1.7 million and £7,000 a week wages will get you his 71 potential on Career Mode, and it will only take 950 coins on PS4 and 800 on Xbox One to land him on Ultimate Team.
Anton Kresic (OVR 65 – POT 75)
Age: 21
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB, CDM
Club: Avellino (on loan from Atalanta)
Country: Croatia
Best attributes: 78 strength, 71 jumping, 70 standing tackle
FUT cost: 750 PS4/1,100 Xbox One (64 rating)
Career Mode cost: n/a
Career Mode wage: £5,000 a week
At the age of 21, it was vital for the Croatian Anton Kresic to experience regular first team football, and his loan move to Serie B side Avellino from Atalanta has gone perfectly. The 21-year-old has made 13 appearances so far this season and even chipped in with three goals, a couple of seasons at this level could lead to him becoming a regular in the top flight.
The six foot six inch defender has a 65 overall rating on FIFA 18, which will cost 750 coins on PS4 and 1,100 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team. On Career Mode, he can grow to a potential of 75, so his 78 strength, 71 jumping and 70 standing tackle attributes will set you back just shy of £1 million when he returns from loan and wages of just £5,000 a week.
Jhon Chancellor (OVR 64 – POT 68)
Age: 25
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB
Club: Unattached*
Country: Venezuela
Best stats: 86 strength, 66 standing tackle, 65 aggression
FUT cost: n/a
Career Mode cost: n/a
Career Mode wage: n/a
Venezuela centre back Jhon Chancellor has just joined Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala, so his ‘Free Agent’ status on FIFA 18 is likely to change very soon. A promising year in the Ecuadorian top flight has earned him this move to Europe, and at the age of 25 it's the perfect time for him to further his career.
86 strength, 66 standing tackle and 65 aggression give the six foot six defender a 64 overall on Career Mode, which can rise to a 68 potential.
Sven Kopp (OVR 61 – POT 69)
Age: 22
Height: 6’6”
Positions: CB, RB
Club: Jahn Regensburg
Country: Germany
Best stats: 86 strength, 64 heading accuracy, 60 standing tackle
FUT cost: 500 coins/400 Xbox One
Career Mode cost: £501,000 (release clause)
Career Mode wage: £2,000 a week
Any lower league clubs looking for a big defender to improve as you win a promotion or two in Career Mode should look at Sven Kopp. The Jahn Regensburg centre or right back has been out of favour in the German second division this season, so you can provide the opportunity for him to make the most out of his career on FIFA 18.
The 22-year-old may only have an overall rating of 61, but his potential of 69 could tempt a number of managers in England’s League Two or other clubs in the German third tier. Attributes of 86 strength, 64 heading accuracy and 60 standing tackle will not be matched by many at that level, and with a release clause of only £501,000, it's a punt worth taking. Kopp’s wages will set you back £2,000 and week, and you will need 500 coins on PS4 or 400 on Xbox One to pick up the 6'6" mountain on Ultimate Team.
*Unattached players are assigned to random clubs on Career Mode
More tall defenders
Player | A | H | Club | Country | OVR/ POT | C | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frederik Tingager | 24 | 6’6” | Odense | Denmark | 61/ 65 | £323k | £2k |
Joseph Greenspan | 24 | 6’6” | Minnesota Utd | USA | 60/ 64 | £309k | £1k |
Omar Sowunmi | 21 | 6’6” | Yeovil | England | 59/ 71 | £429k | £1k |
Stefan Antonijevic | 28 | 6’6” | Lillestrom | USA | 58/ 58 | £110k | £1k |
Rasmus Minor | 29 | 6’6” | Hobro | Denmark | 58/ 58 | £110k | £1k |
Matt Bower | 18 | 6’6” | Cheltenham | England | 55/ 67 | £223k | £1k |
Nikolaj Lyngo | 19 | 6’6” | Aalborg | Denmark | 54/ 65 | £128k | £1k |
Sebastian Coates | 26 | 6’5” | Sporting | Uruguay | 81/ 83 | £32.9m | £18k |
Salif Sane | 26 | 6’5” | Hannover | Senegal | 79/ 80 | £18.7m | £18k |
Sebastian Prodl | 30 | 6’5” | Watford | Austria | 78/ 78 | £12.5m | £46k |
Pontus Jansson | 26 | 6’5” | Leeds | Sweden | 77/ 79 | £15.6m | £32k |
Christopher Jullien | 24 | 6’5” | Toulouse | France | 76/ 80 | £15.5m | £23k |
Alcala | 28 | 6’5” | Girona | Spain | 76/ 76 | £11.1m | £23k |
Solomon Kvirkvelia | 25 | 6’5” | Lokomotiv Moscow | Georgia | 74/ 78 | £8.3m | £29k |
Lasse Sobiech | 26 | 6’5” | St. Pauli | Germany | 74/ 75 | £8.1m | £15k |
Omar Gonzalez | 28 | 6’5” | Pachuca | USA | 74/ 74 | £6.8m | £24k |
Kendall Waston | 29 | 6’5” | Vancouver Whitecaps | Costa Rica | 74/ 74 | £5.8m | £8k |
Atinc Nukan | 23 | 6’5” | Besiktas** | Turkey | 72/ 79 | n/a | £25k |
Bartosz Salamon | 26 | 6’5” | SPAL** | Poland | 70/ 73 | n/a | £26k |
Florian Ballas | 24 | 6’5” | Dynamo Dresden | Germany | 69/ 73 | £1.7m | £7k |
David Wheater | 30 | 6’5” | Bolton | England | 69/ 69 | £1.3m | £17k |
Oguchi Onyewu | 35 | 6’5” | Philadelphia Union | USA | 69/ 69 | £330k | £3k |
Kristoffer Ajer | 19 | 6’5” | Celtic | Norway | 68/ 79 | £2.3m | £12k |
Marcos Valente | 23 | 6’5” | Vitoria | Portugal | 68/ 74 | £2.1m | £5k |
Dan Axel-Zagadou | 18 | 6’5” | Borussia Dortmund | France | 68/ 83 | £3.4m | £12k |
Steven Ruprecht | 30 | 6’5” | Wehen | Germany | 68/ 68 | £861k | £1k |
Christian Burgess | 25 | 6’5” | Portsmouth | England | 67/ 72 | £1.4m | £6k |
Sean Raggett | 23 | 6’5” | Norwich | England | 66/ 76 | £1.7m | £7k |
Alex Crognale | 22 | 6’5” | Columbus Crew | USA | 66/ 74 | £1.2m | £2k |
Jack Elliott | 21 | 6’5” | Philadelphia Union | England | 66/ 72 | £1.1m | £2k |
Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr | 23 | 6’5” | Charlton | France | 66/ 72 | £1.3m | £3k |
Sonny Bradley | 25 | 6’5” | Plymouth | England | 66/ 70 | £1.1m | £3k |
Ryan Tafazolli | 25 | 6’5” | Peterboro' | England | 66/ 70 | £1.1m | £3k |
Aleksandar Jovanovic | 27 | 6’5” | Jeju | Australia | 66/ 66 | £605k | £2k |
Marek Wasiluk | 30 | 6’5” | Jagiellonia | Poland | 66/ 66 | £564k | £3k |
Ryan Inniss | 22 | 6’5” | Colchester** | England | 65/ 72 | n/a | £10k |
Tosin Adarabioyo | 19 | 6’5” | Manchester City | England | 64/ 80 | £1.9m | £11k |
Emmanuel Mbende | 21 | 6’5” | Chemnitzer | Germany | 64/ 72 | £835k | £1k |
Ricardo Almeida- Santos | 22 | 6’5” | Barnet | Portugal | 64/ 72 | £987k | £3k |
Ben Nugent | 23 | 6’5” | Gillingham | England | 64/ 69 | £803k | £2k |
Cedric Kipre | 20 | 6’5” | Motherwell | France | 63/ 78 | £1.5m | £1k |
Walker Hume | 23 | 6’5” | FC Dallas | USA | 63/ 69 | £636k | £1k |
George Taft | 23 | 6’5” | Cambridge Utd** | England | 63/ 67 | n/a | £3k |
Charlie Goode | 21 | 6’5” | Scunthorpe | England | 62/ 70 | £686k | £2k |
Daniel Jarl | 25 | 6’5” | Sirius | Sweden | 62/ 65 | £379k | £1k |
Reiss Greenidge | 20 | 6’5” | Sogndal | England | 61/ 72 | £479k | £1k |
Oleksiy Dytyatev | 28 | 6’5” | Cracovia | Ukraine | 60/ 61 | £238k | £1k |
Mirlind Kryeziu | 20 | 6’5” | FC Zurich | Switz. | 55/ 66 | £189k | £1k |
Benjamin Zalo | 19 | 6’5” | Goteborg | Norway | 54/ 70 | £215k | £1k |
Jamie McCombe | 34 | 6’5” | Lincoln | England | 54/ 54 | £31k | £2k |
Ross Sykes | 17 | 6’5” | Accrington | England | 53/ 64 | £137k | £1k |
Matt Casey | 17 | 6’5” | Portsmouth | England | 52/ 70 | £188k | £1k |
**Denotes player is on loan
A = Age
H = Height
C = Cost (Career Mode)
W = Wage
Who have you snapped up on Ultimate Team? Let us know in the comments section below.
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